243 vs 6.5 Creedmoor

Hey all,
Looking to pick up a whitetail and pronghorn rifle chambered in either 243 or 6.5 Creedmoor. Is there any real world differences for the intended game at sane distances?

This rifle will accompany a 22-250 and 300 wsm.

I love my 243 for target shooting but for hunting I would go 6.5. Lots of difference between 100gr 243 and a 140gr 6.5.
Made 3 shots this past season with a 243 at 100yds or less. Tracked game for 250 yds or more. Shoot a hog in the face at 75 yds and did not recover it. All shoots were with Sierra 85gr hp's. Gun shoots the great.

IMO no.

No. But I would go with 6.5.

Use bullets designed for hunting at the yardages most shoot there is not much effective difference between the 2 at least for our texas deer and most hogs.

These numbers are based on Hornady Precision Hunter ammo at 100 yards for both calibers. Both test barrels were 24".

.243: 103 ELD-X @ 3050


6.5 Creedmoor: 143 ELD-X @2700

The 6.5 beats the 6mm in retained energy, and really starts to run away as range increases. I don't know if a critter could tell which caliber you shot it with, but science is science.

Yup.

The seasoned pronghorn hunters on this forum report they are not very tough. In any case, I would rather have a 6.5mm or larger. Heavier bullet is more energy. I've spent time around pronghorn many days, while prairie dog shooting. Your shot could be 100 yards, and it could be 400 yards. You can also count on it being windy, 10 mph wind is a gift where pronghorn live.

The CM will feed better in the SA which is one of the design purposes of the CM. I like both, there's no huge difference that's worth debating IMO. For deer and speed goats your good with either out to 600. Both are sought after calibers so availability of choice brass and bullets could be hard to find for either one. Shot placement always makes a difference. Stick with a berger elite hunter, hornady ELDx, or something similar that shoots best in your gun.

6.5 is the death knell for the 243 and about time. It is nice to have exit holes without having to run premium bullets.

Without being a Creedmoor fanboy, beneath the hype it's actually a very nice, sensible cartridge. If you like numbers it's also more "between" the .22-250 and .300 WSM than the .243; an irrelevancy in the real world, of course.

Sounds like the 6.5 Tikka T3x LH it is.

Thanks all

Good call!

If you are not a hand loader, I've seen several Tikka barreled actions shoot Hornady 143 gr ELD-X very well.

Yeah, me too.

Between those two, the 6.5 is the obvious choice for all the reasons mentioned above.

I don't see that happening. Problem with the 243 is people trying to use it as a medium to large game rifle. Yes it's capable of doing both but you better have you I's dotted before pulling that trigger. Where it excels is in the varmint category and that's where I keep it, pushing 60 and 70 grain bullets from 3800 to damn near 4000 fps is some serious yote medicine. I've never considered it a reliable deer rifle, just a marginal one at best.

Nothing to say negative about a 243 when using quality bullets. They may have a flatter trajectory - all depends on bullets, velocity in your barrel.

As to exits, some of you may have not tried say the 95 Ballistic Tip, Barnes/Nosler mono's, Partitions, or Swift bonded. Other's will also, but the 243 is far more gun than often credited. I could see a niche on varmints thru coyotes, Pronghorn, and yes, even Deer/hogs.

That said, I have run an equal # of 6.5s. But my longest deer kill was the 243 Short. Aka BR 400 yds ranged, using a 105 amax........exited offside after destroying both lungs.

The 6mm Creedmoor will find a niche......but it will take time.

Oh, that 95 Ballistic Tip.....it exited every deer in both BRs and 243s....last one busted both shoulders broadside on an 8 pt WT buck at 100 yds. I call that great performance, at a distance bullet retention will only be better. During R&D it was used to take much larger game, IIRC, Elk.

No flies on the Creedmoor, both very capable rounds. Bullet choice not quite as fickle, most are game bullets and do well at modest CM speeds.

A) Alot depends on your definition of "sane distances"
B) the bullet is more important than the headstamp

257 Roberts. Pow pow!